Saturday, 19 December 2015

Developing good habits is a basic principle of personal development and growth. Everything we do is the result of a habit that was previously learned. Unfortunately, not all habits that we have are good, that’s why we are constantly trying to improve.

The following is a list of 15 practical habits that can make a huge difference in your life.

Health Habits

Exercise 30 minutes every day. Especially if you don’t do much movement while working, it’s essential that you get some daily exercise. 30 minutes every day are theminimum recommended for optimal health.

Eat breakfast every day. Breakfast is the more important meal of the day, yet so many people skip it. Personally, I like to eat a couple of toasts in the morning along with a fruit beverage.

Sleep 8 hours. Sleep deprivation is never a good idea. You may think that you are gaining time by sleeping less, when in reality you are only gaining stress and tiredness. 8 hours are a good number of hours for most people, along with an optional 20 minutes nap after lunch.

Drink one glass of water when you wake up. When you wake up, your body is dehydrated and needs liquid. Make the habit of drinking one glass of water after you wake up in the morning. Also, drink more during the day.

Keep your body clean. I don’t advise spending your day in front of the mirror, but a minimum of personal care doesn’t hurt.

Productivity habits

Use an inbox system. Make the habit of keeping track of all the ideas and things that comes to mind. You can use a notebook to do this, and then sync everything on your computer.

Prioritize. If you have a list of things to do, where do you start? One way is to prioritize your list. If you are in doubt, ask yourself: “If I could only accomplish one thing today, what would it be?”

Clean off your desk and room. Having a clear room and desk is important to maintain focus and creativity.

Create a morning routine. There are a lot of tasks that you need to perform every day or every week. Try to automate them as much as possible.

Set strict deadlines. When you do something, decide in advance when you’re going to stop. There’s a rule that states that you will fulfill all the time you have available for completing a task, so make a habit of setting strict deadlines for maximizing your productivity.

Personal Development Habits

Read 1 book per week. Reading is a good way to keep your brain active. With just 30 minutes per day you should be able to read one book per week, or more than 50 books per year!

Daily goals. Set targets for each day in advance. Decide what you’ll do, then do it. Without a clear focus, it’s too easy to succumb to distractions.